National Republican., 1887-10-19
The Way OF virginia Democrats.

C,L n. FulkereOn, gwen DeloW, as TO tue
manner in which certain legislation was
passed through the last session OF the Vir-
glnia general assembly, shows some Demo
cratic methods that are even worse than the
average.
There lie no pretense that the Democrat
speaker OF the Virginia house of delegate
did not know, and that the members pre-
ent did not know they had no power t.
leeislate. yet with full knowledge OF the
facts, they passed one bill to force th,
people Of the town Of Goodson to pay $50.
eco to railroad, and another bill whlch
had been almost unanimously rejected by q
full house, and which deliberately robbed
the people to pay few Democratic favor
ties.
Gov. Lee signed these bills with perfect
knowledge that they passed the assembly
when there was no quorum present aud
after the assembly was legally adjourned
WIN the people OF Virginia elect anothrI
Democratic assembly that will not only re-
peat such outrageous performances, bn'
elect Gov. Lee to the United States Senate
Every voter in Virginia should read thi.
a
revelation Of Democratic methods. The
peoples rights are ,othlng. Favored rail-
roads and strikers are everything.
Here is the letter:
10 THE EDITOR OF THE SOUTHWEST EX.
AMlNER: On the 23d day of May, 1887, tn
senate of Virginia passed Joint resolution fix.
ing o'clock p, IN. of that day for the adjourn.
ment sine die of the extra session.
This resolution was communicated 10 the
house of delegates. and, on motion of Mr.. Gard
well, was amended by substituting ~ O'Clock
m. Of the 9th day of May for 8 clock p. m. OF
the 23d, and the resolution reported back to the
senate and the amendment concurred in.
After the passage of this joint resolution fix.
ing u O'clock m. of the 9th for adJournmen
sine die, 1t was officially announced from the
chair by Speaker Stuart that no bill passed
alter that day, Monday, could possibly be en-.
rolled and examined and signed by the gov
ernor, as the remaining time of the session
would be fully occupied by the clerks IN en-
rolling the bills already passed and in their
hands; then, on motion of Mr.. Hay, the house
adjourned till IL o'clock n IN. of the 9th, CIV
ing only one hour for the transaction of bu1i-
ness on the Gath. The legislative session hay-
ing thus virtually ended on the 23d, all the
members of the senate but s6pen, and all bu
fftttn members of the house eft for their
homes on the night of tho 23d and early morn
ing Of the Oath. The Richmond Dispatch of the
9th, printed the night before, contained this
announcement
"LEGIsLATuRE GoSE-Qute unanimous
exodus OF members from the city. As matte
OF fact, the legislative session Is at an end
three.fouTths Of the members having gone
home, but the house will hold n socalled ses-
sion 10. day, and in the meantime the governor
IL a. IN N m IA
passed"
The state, which had reporter in the house,
In its issue Of the 9th, published he evening
after the legislature had adjourned sine die.
made the following statement:
"The senate and house o. delegates met at Il
O'Clock this morning The two houses had u
Comparatively deserted look In the senate the
only members present were Heaton STUDIOS
staples, Lovenstein, Ellison, Blackstone, alI
Gordon. Those present in the house were De =.
gates Carter, Dunlop, .Starke, and Patton, o.
Richmond; Cardwel, Hogue, Peters, Fentre,,
Hay Taliaterro, Ryan. chalmers, Porter, ECh
ois, and Speaker Stuart. The chairs were va.
Gated until II o'clock to allow the clerks TO an
roll some bills to be pregented to the governor
for his approval before a final adjournment"
During this recess of three. quarters of al
hour, Il. A. Ayers informed Mr.. Speaker Stuarl
that he had received a telegram from j. NJ
Bailey general manager of the s. A. & o. r. X
CO.. TO the effect that senator, then at home
had teegraphed him Speaker STUART to take
up out of its order senate bill No. 373 and have
II passed by the house. About the same time
Speaker Stuart received the senator's telegram
requesting him to take up senate bill No. 37S
and have it passed without fail. The house
had adjourned the day before till IL O'Clock
the 2sth-giving only one hour for the session
that day, and the house had met at ii O'Clock
and taken recess for three, quarters OF tina,
hour Having nothing 10 DO and but few mem
bers thirty-six less than quorum being pres.
ent, Mr.. Speaker was in a quandary to know
how to accommodate his friends-how 10 pas.
their bill with fifteen members apd have It Ell
rolled, copied on parchment. examined and
signed by the governor in fifteen minutes wa
puzzle but
| The house reconvened at II i5 o'clock a. m.
when the doorkeeper, Mr.. Charles sullivan
was directed 10 turn the hands of the clocI
back one-half hour, ana thereupon Speake
Stuart took the floor, and moved the othc
fourteen members present to take up out O
its order senate bill No. 1913, to "legalize Ger.
tain subscriptions by the town OF Geodson t
the South Atlantic and Ohio Railroad Com
pany. The motion was agreed to and the bill
passed." 1t was now only five minutes TO l.
o'clock by the clock in the house, and senate
rolled and signed by the governor and to gair
further time Tor this and another purpose
the hands ofthe clock were again turned baol
this time by W. D. York, apage-so as to stanc
at ll;2O a. m. Thereupon, Speaker Stuart
who was still on the floor, offered the follow
ing resolution:
R6SOlp6d That the clerk of the House bt
| directed TO issue his warrant on the auditor o
public accounts to the assistant clerk, the com
mitiee clerks, the enrolling clerks the sergeant
alarms, and the doorkecpers for fifty dollar
each. and to the pages ana janitor for twenty
five dollars each, extra compensation for th
extra session.
Mr.. Hay moved TO amend by striking ou
fifty dollars" and inserting twenty-five dol
lars" which motion was rejected aud he reSO
| luton irds agreed 10.
The governor signed senate bill 373 nearl,
an hour after the legal existence of the extri
session of the legislature had terminated. Al
ter having been turned back 65 minutes tn,
| hands of the clock again reached IL M, an
| htn the speaker declared the house adjourned
sine die. Sic transit, dc.
| The subscriptions by the town of Goodson ia
the S. A. and o. II. r, Company, which senat,
| bill No. 1873 attempted to legaliZe were fol
| S25 600 each, and were enloined, because lllega
| and void, by the circuit court OF Washington
county before the extra session of the leglsla
| ture was called.
The resolution giving the clerks, &C., $50
| each, and the pages and Janitor s25 each, tex
| ira compensation for this extra session." wa
introduced in q fun house by Mr.. Flggatt few
| days before the end of the session. and afte
some vigorous speeches against It's adoption
the resolution was defeated almost unani
mously, Respectfully, A, FuLKERsoN.